Closure



May 21, 1957 A c. w. HuRLz-:Y 2,793,063

cLosURE Filed Nov. 16, 1954 2 Sheets-snee?. l

ATTOR AYEY c. w. HURLEY 2,793,063

' CLOSUR;

May 21, 1957 Filed Nov. 16, 1954 2 sheets-511%b 2 INVENTOR Waffen Hurley ATTmNEY United 4States Patent O F cLosURE Charles Warrenk Hurley, Gaithersburg, Md., assigner to the United States of America nsrepresented bythe Secretary of the Army Application November 16, 1954, serial No. 469,325

1 claim.V (ci. 292-259) The invention relates to container closures and more particularly to that type of closures for a container opening wherein a closure plate forces a sealing` gasket against a gasket seat by the action of means carried. by a locking bar detachably secured across the opening in the container. In the particular embodiments described hereinafter, the closure plates have a resilient action so that a continuous resilient pressure is exerted onthe gasket when the closure plates are seated.

With the foregoing in view, it is `an object of the invention to provide an improved closure of the class described.

A further object is to provide an improved closure `of this type wherein the closure plate includes integral upwardly directed members having enlarged or laterally directed free ends overlying the locking bar to 'connect the parts loosely together and permit `relative vertical movement of the plate and bar during the actuation of the locking means forthe closure. i

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of the invention,` the structure of the several elements thereof, combinations and subcombinations of such elements, all of which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon` reference to the attached drawing in connection with the following specification wherein two embodiments of the inventionare shown, described and claimed.

In the drawing: i

Fig. l is a top plan view of a` preferred embodiment of the invention showing the same in the" seated position;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken, substantially on the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken at right angles to the plane of Fig. 2 and substantially on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. l; p

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view like Fig. 2 but showing the parts in the unseated position;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view showing a modification of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View taken substantially on the plane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a like view but showing the parts in the unseated position;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 8-8 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 9 is a transverse fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 9-9 of Fig. 5.

Referring specifically to the drawing, wherein like reference characters have been used throughout the several views to designate like parts, and referring at first to the form of invention illustrated by Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, 10 designates the head or wall of a container such as a 55 gallon metal drum. The wall 10 has an opening 11 formed therein. Edge portions of the ope'nkig are crimped to form a bead 12 securing a flange or sput 13 to the wall 10. The bead 12 provides a gasket seat for the closure. The sput 13 includes fa horizontal flange 14 about which the bead 12 is crimped and a cylindrical neck or vertical side wall 15. The upper edges of two 2,793,063 Patented May 21,. 1957 oppositely disposed` segmental portions of the wall 15 are radially inwardly directed to provide upper horizontal flanges I6. Such flanges 16 comprise keepers for retaining in` position the locking bar 20 now to be described.

The locking bar 20 has a substantially circular section 21 and oppositely disposed and radiallyextending locking lugs 22 which arey of a length to extend below the upper horizontal anges 16- of the sput 13. A diametral slot `23 is formed in the central section 21 of the locking bar along `the long axis of the lugs 22. Likewise, on opposite sidesV of the slots 23 parallel slits 24 are formed ICC -through the central section 22. The underside of that portion of the central section 21 which lies between the slits 24 is offset to forml a downwardly facing groove 25 which extends betweenA the slits 24 at right angles thereto and provides a seat for a pin 26. The ends of pin` 26 bear against the inner faces of the slits 24 to prevent axial movement of the pin. The pin 26 has xed thereon la cam 27 which includes a cam surface 28 and an actuating lever 29. The cam 27 extends through the slot 23 with the lever 29 substantially entirely disposed above the locking bar 20. The pin 26, together with the .cam 27 is prevented from dropping entirely out of the vto provide an annular and `substantially horizontal flange 33 to the undersurface of which is secured any suitable sealing gasket 34. The gasket 34 is disposed to engage the seat 12 aforesaid with the cylindrical wall 32 disposed within the opening 11. To secure the closure plate 30 to the locking bar 20 there have been provided members 35 which are integral or rigidly secured to the closure plate 30 and which have laterally directed upper ends 36 which overlie the closure plate 20 in vertical spaced relation thereto to provide a loose or lost motion connection which permits relative vertical movement of the plate and bar. In the embodiment illustrated, the members 35 comprise lugs which are integral with edge portions of the flange 33 and they overlie marginal portions of the circular center portion 21 of the locking bar 20. The space between the lug ends 36 and the upper surface of the locking bar is insufficient to permit the pin 26 from dropping entirely out of the groove 25 even when the closure is entirely removed from the opening 11. As is readily apparent in Fig. 1 the assembly of closure plate 30 and locking bar 20 arel applied to the opening 11 with the locking lugs 22 disposed in the space between the upper horizontal flanges 16 of the sput 13. Then', with the gasket 34 resting lightly on the seat 12, the assembly is rotated until the locking lugs 22 are disposed below the upper horizontal anges 16. With the parts in the unseated position of Fig. 4, it is apparent that the locking bar is resting on the flange 33 of the closure plate 30. However, when the cam lever 29 is moved through the broken line position. to the full line position of Fig. 2, the cam 28 has forced the locking bar upwardly into rm engagement with the undersurface of the horizontal flanges 16 while at the same time has flexed the oor 31 of the closure plate downwardly so that the resilient pressure is exerted on the gasket 34 by the horizontal flange 33 which is itself slightly flexed. It should be noted in this connection, that in the full line position of Fig. 2, the cam surface 28 has passed slightly beyond center so that there is no tendency of the cam to be forced back to the released position by the resilient pressure exerted thereon by the closure plate. Moreover, to insure against any such action, any suitable means may be provided to lock the cam lever 29 in the seated posiclosure plate. ya lever arm 128 of a bell crank 127 is indirectly conv,posed therebetween.

"mounts the sealing gasket 134. :comparison of the two forms that despite the added size 'of the closure plate 130 the overall height of the assemtion of Fig. 2. Such means may comprise a machine screw 37 which freely passes through the hole 38 in the cam lever 29 and is threaded in a tapped hole 40 in one locking lug 22 of the locking bar 20. The other locking Vlug 22 may likewise be formed with a tapped holeY 40 therethrough so that the cam 27 may be reversely applied vto the locking bar 20. If desired, to provide free passage for the locking, screws 37 the central portions of the horizontal flanges 16 may be cut away as at 41.

y In the form of invention of Figs. 5 to 9, inclusive, there 'is provided and disclosed a modified form of closure whichis interchangeably useable with the opening and sput of the iirst described form. In this form of the invention mostV of the parts correspond to those of the first described formrwith the exception of the cam and Here the cam is eliminated as such and nected to the closure plate130 by toggle links 139 inter- Thus, the closure plate 130 is substantially deeper than the closure plate 30 of the tirst 'described form of the invention and the floor 131 thereof 142 extending therethrough. The bell crank 127 is convnected to the locking bar 20 by la pin 26 which seats in a groove 25 between the inner faces of the slits 24 as in the first described form of the invention.

` Likewise, the closure plate 130 includes a relatively longer side wall 132 which iits within theopening 11 in the container and which has a substantially radially outwardly directed tlange 133 the undersurface of which It is apparent from a bly above the container wall is actually less than that of the rst described form because of the elimination of `the locking screw 37. This is made possible by the toggle 'l arrangement which enables the parts to go so far beyond yis loosely secured to the locking bar 20 by securing means or lugs 135 and their laterally directed upper ends 136 which overlie the arcuate central portion 21 of the lock ing bar. 20. Except as noted above, the operation of lthis form of the invention is identical to that of the preferred form in that the parts are loosely resting on the -tlange 133 of the plate 134 with the actuating lever 129 of bell crank 127 in the unseated position of Fig. 7.

-However, when the parts are moved to the seated posi- "arcanes r 'f tion of Fig. 6, locking bar 20 is forced upwardly against the undersurface 'of the'upper horizontal ange 16 of the sput 13, while the closure plate 130 together with its flange 133 and gasket 134 is forced downwardly into resilient engagement with the gasket seat 12. While the maximum stress is, of course, achieved at the point where the pins 26, 142 and 138 are-'in alignment, it is obvious that this dead center position is unstable. Thus, it is preferable that the toggle move well beyond center to the seatedA position of Fig.- 6 to lock the parts in such position. 1t is understood, of course, that in the seated position the parts are still under continuous resilient tension as inthe iirst described form `of the invention whereby any compression set in the gasket 134 is compensated for. 1 p

It is apparent, thus, that in both forms of the invention the continuous tension exerted by the resilient closure plate 30 or 130 will compensate for any compression set occurring in the gaskets 34 or 134 whereby a strong seal is maintained over long periods and throughout ternperature uctuations or the like. Moreover, it is apparentthat both forms of the invention are fast in operation in both the seating'and unseating directions. Also, it is apparent thatfstructres :are simple in form and substantially easy to manufacture and assemble while at the same time being relatively strong in use.

While I have shown yand described what are now thought to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that the same are susceptible of still further forms and expressions. Consequently, I do not limit myself to the precise structures shown and described hereinabove except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

A closure for a container opening, comprising a closure plate, a lock bar above said plate adapted to be )readily detachably secured to said container across said opening, movable means carried by said lock bar 'and engaging said closure plate for forcing the same downwardly into sealing engagement with said container across said opening, said closure plate 4and lock bar having opposite edge portions shaped similarly and disposed concentrically, a plurality of lugs integral with said edge portions of said closure plate and extending upwardly of the same outwardly of said edge portions of said lock bar, and said lugs having radially inwardly extending free ends overlying said edge portions 'of said lock bar in vertically spaced relation thereto to provide a lost motion vconnection between said closure plate and lock bar.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

